Fairmont’s Becker signs with NIACC

The Becker brothers will soon rejoin formidable forces on the diamond.

Fairmont senior infielder Luke Becker signed his national letter of intent on Monday to play baseball for No. 5-ranked North Iowa Area Community College in Mason City, Iowa, next season.

The lethal switch-hitting Luke Becker will lace up his spikes in 2015 with hard-hitting sibling Levi Becker, who’s a freshman utility player for NIACC this spring.

“That’s one of the reasons why I selected NIACC – to have the chance to play baseball with Levi again. It could be the last year we ever play together,” said Luke Becker.

Ironically, Luke and Levi Becker shared the Sentinel’s 2013 All-Area baseball player of the year award after powering the Fairmont Cardinals to a 22-3 record and fourth consecutive appearance in the Section 3AA championship game in 2013.

“I had a number of schools looking at me, but my goal was to go to a place with both a good agricultural program and a competitive baseball program,” said Luke Becker, who plans to major in ag-business.

“He’s definitely the most-recruited player that I’ve had the chance to coach at the high school level, and our program has produced a lot of good players through the years,” said Fairmont Cardinal mentor Todd Sukalski. “He hits the ball hard from both sides of the plate and he’s got power. He can play infield, outfield and even catch. He’s the total package.”

Sukalski’s analysis of Luke Becker’s diamond repertoire proved as accurate as the strong-armed Cardinal second baseman turning a double play.

The right-handed hurler also compiled a 3-0 record and 2.23 ERA on the strength of 31 strikeouts and only 11 walks in 31 1/3 innings pitched during his junior campaign.

Now, Becker will keep his smooth swing sharp by taking countless cuts within the batting cage on his family’s farm while waiting for Herb Wolf Park to unthaw over the next couple months in leading up his final prep baseball season.

“He’s made himself a great hitter from the left side of the plate through all of his hard work in the cage during the offseason. It’s not his natural side, so that shows a lot of determination on his part and also how much he likes baseball,” said Sukalski.

Becker said the NIACC baseball coaching staff has him penciled in at second base next season.

“NIACC’s second baseman is a sophomore this spring, so it should be a good fit for me,” said Becker.